Ailey’s Musical Constellations

Online, via Zoom

Using the exhibition Edges of Ailey as a point of departure, this two-part course investigates the deep connections between Black musical traditions and artistic expression, highlighting how these influences extend beyond music to shape visual and conceptual art. Focusing on genres such as jazz, swing, spirituals, and blues, the course considers how both Ailey and the artists in his orbit weave the rhythms, history, and emotional resonance of these musical genres into their work. Through the lens of "musicking”—an active process of creating, participating in, and experiencing music —participants will gain a deeper appreciation of Ailey’s artistry and its profound impact on generations of artists, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries.  

Tuesday, October 22  
Jazz, Swing, and Musical Abstraction  
Part One explores the interdisciplinary influence of jazz and swing, connecting the musical elements characteristic of these genres—such as syncopation and improvisation— with the abstract works of artists like Sam Gilliam and Norman Lewis. This exploration of musical abstraction also includes abstract portraits of legendary performers by artists including Terry Adkins and Beauford Delaney, who drew inspiration from stars like Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker. 

Tuesday, October 29  
From Spirituals to Blues
Part Two explores how artists like Palmer Hayden and Ralph Lemon engage with the history of spirituals and blues music, reflecting these traditions through figurative works and conceptual projects. It also considers blues as both a color and a musical mode of expression in the work of artists like Bill Traylor, Lonnie Holley, and in Ailey’s Blues Suite. 

Fred Cruz Nowell is a PhD candidate in Musicology at Cornell University and a Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art. His research focuses on the connections between music and abstract art in the early twentieth century. He holds an MFA from Northwestern University’s Department of Art Theory and Practice (ATP), where he was a University Fellow, and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).